New Mpox Cases Raise Concerns About Federal Funding, Resource Availability
Health officials are responding to newly identified cases of mpox in multiple U.S. states, prompting concerns about the nation’s preparedness given potential cuts to critical public health funding.The cases, which appear unrelated adn do not involve recent travel, are triggering investigations to determine their origin and extent.
Dr.Demetre Daskalakis, former Deputy Director of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, emphasized the investigative process takes time. ”Investigations work at a speed that is not as fast as what the press or what the public may want,” he stated. “When you see unrelated cases…that means that more investigation needs to happen.” He added that seemingly unconnected cases could reveal a broader pattern of transmission,including mild or undetected infections.
The emergence of these cases is notably worrying given the potential loss of resources that were crucial during the 2022 mpox outbreak.Dr. Anne Rimoin, also a former CDC official, highlighted the importance of continued vaccination. “There are still good reasons for everyone to get vaccinated, this just heightens the reasons,” she said, noting the vaccine’s effectiveness despite limited resources.
A key concern is access to the vaccine itself. Rimoin warned that without continued federal support, many who need the vaccine will be unable to afford it. “We won’t have that coordination to say, hey, there’s expiring doses coming out of the National Strategic Stockpile. does anybody want these?” she explained. “And so, we will still have a bunch of people who need access to vaccines who will not be able to get them as they’ll not be able to afford them.”
Daskalakis echoed these concerns, pointing out the vital role of existing public health infrastructure in the previous response.”We leveraged STI systems, we leveraged HIV systems, we leveraged housing systems and we leveraged mental health systems to be able to do this,” he said. He fears that proposed cuts to these systems will severely hamper the ability to mount an effective response to future outbreaks. ”So, I’m concerned that if some of these cuts come to fruition, we will be very unprepared to be able to do that same leverage.”
The 2022 mpox outbreak led to over 35,000 cases in the U.S., prompting a large-scale vaccination campaign and significant investment in public health infrastructure. The current situation underscores the ongoing need for sustained funding and preparedness to address emerging infectious disease threats.
